To lighten the somber atmosphere, Xiao Wen cleared her throat and redirected the conversation back to the previous topic. "About the Constellations, you mentioned that their blessing grants you access to the Realms under their rule. Does that mean the ruler of the Fate Kingdom is one of the Constellations?"
"No, at least not yet," Yiren assured immediately. "Considering how other Constellations constantly steal talented cultivators from the Heaven Realm, the ruler of the Fate Kingdom is likely still in the initial stages of becoming a Constellation. Otherwise, he would monopolize the Realms under his rule and not allow other Constellations to roam freely."
"But what do they gain from this? No one would just share their power without receiving something in return," Xiao Wen pointed out suspiciously.
"You are right. There are a few reasons why the Constellations are so eager to grant their Celestial Blessing, but their main goal is simply to increase their battle power. You see, once you accept their blessing, you commit to protect the Constellation in exchange for access to their power. In the event that the Constellation is ever at war with another Constellation, you will be summoned to fight in their stead," Yiren revealed. "Each Constellation usually spends millions of years rising in power, so they don't want to risk death by fighting on their own."
"So once you accept their blessing, you are essentially their chess piece they can use at any time. They have nothing to lose since you stop using their power once you die fighting for them. It's a win-win situation for them," Xiao Wen said in frustration. "Why would anyone agree to such terms? It's a guaranteed suicide."
"Almost everyone accepts because one, they don't want to be stuck at the peak of their cultivation, and two, they don't want to become the enemy of other Constellations. Remember how I said receiving a blessing is the only way to advance? There is another path, which is to become a Constellation yourself. It's an extremely lengthy process that involves claiming rogue Realms and refining their power," Yiren explained with a sigh. "You need to rule at least a hundred Realms to even be considered one of them and be allowed to challenge other Constellations. Unfortunately, before you can even reach that point, you will be targeted by everyone else in an attempt to steal your progress. I'm guessing the ruler of the Fate Kingdom is still too weak to fall under the Constellations' radar."
"Their closed community is another reason why Constellation targets talented individuals. Besides wanting to use us, they want to prevent the appearance of new competitors since you can no longer become a Constellation once you accept even a single Celestial Blessing," Yiren added. "From that point onward, you are destined to become a chess piece and can only hope to open more Gates to have a higher chance of survival."
Wuying rubbed her temples to ease the incoming headache. "Let me guess. The Constellations have already reached the apex of existence, and to entertain each other, they compete to determine who is the strongest. They bet the ownership of their Realms during their challenges and rise in their ranking depending on how many Realms they own. Am I right?" she figured.
"You are spot on," Yiren nodded eagerly. "Instead of possessing rogue Realms that take thousands of years to refine, it's easier to just take someone else's Realm. Everything is just one big competition."
The world of cultivation was harsh, where strength and status were the only rules that mattered. The girls absorbed Yiren's explanation, a grim sense of realization dawning on them. They had climbed to the top of the pyramid in their home world, only to realize that they had been in the shadow of an even larger pyramid the entire time.
"How did you get a hold of all this knowledge?" Yi asked, realizing they were already nearing their camp. "It's not that I don't trust you, but we need to be careful. After all, we are going up against powerful owners of the Realms so any misinformation could put Xuefeng in danger."
"Yi is right. Knowing Xuefeng, he will choose to become a Constellation without considering the consequences. His potential is much higher than the current ruler of the Fate Kingdom, so he could attract more attention from the Constellations," Xiao Wen reminded. "We should prepare before we take action."
"My Fate Spirit says the information should be reliable since one of her previous holders had close contact with one of the Constellations, even being quite intimate with her. The Constellation was using him to raise the Bloodline potential of many subjects, which she later used in her challenges," Yiren informed firmly. "Their relationship didn't last long though since other Constellations heard about his ability and eliminated him soon after."
"You need to be careful then. Your ability to increase potential is exactly what those Constellations are looking for. You might be targeted even before you reach your peak," Yi warned seriously, and all the girls nodded in agreement.
Yiren only scratched her head as if she just remembered something. "I think they might already be watching us. About two weeks ago when I was alone, I felt as if someone was watching me. It only lasted for a few minutes before it vanished without a trace."
Yi froze at Yiren's words, genuine concern in her gaze. She grabbed hold of Xiao Wen, who sat in front of her, and questioned worriedly, "What about you two? Did you feel anything like that two weeks ago?"
"I didn't feel anything," Xiao Wen denied.
"Me neither," Wuying confirmed as well. "Why do you ask?"
Yi took a deep breath to calm down and finally revealed, "I ask because that was the day I maxed out my potential. I could no longer absorb Fate Qi and now that I think about it, I also felt as if someone was watching me."
"Are you suggesting the Constellations sensed my second Fate Ability when they came to check on you?" Yiren asked anxiously. "Do you think they will try to approach me again?"
"Your body and Soul are still only at level four, so I'm guessing whoever came only noted your existence and left to allow you to grow further. I wouldn't be surprised if they planned to secure you before other Constellations realize another incarnation with your ability appeared. The benefits are just too good to pass up," Wuying speculated as she looked at the growing cloud of dust in the distance. "We need to tell Xuefeng as soon as possible."
Yiren nodded firmly and tapped Shiny's side, urging him to speed up. The serpent gave a huff of acknowledgment before surging forward. The force of the acceleration caught them off guard, and they had to hold on tightly to avoid being thrown off.
The distant cloud of dust grew larger with each passing second until they could finally discern the figures behind it. Two small dots were sparring with each other; or to be more precise, one was in pursuit and the other was evading. Only a mile away from the camp, they finally recognized the two individuals to be Xuefeng and Drakos, with the latter using his full power to chase the former.
"Right, this is the heated situation I mentioned earlier," Yiren commented in surprise. "I thought they would have finished by the time we returned, but they're still at it. Judging by his intensity, it seems Drakos is even angrier than before.
"What is this all about?" Xiao Wen asked, just as the distant conversation became audible.
"Drakos, can you calm down and let me explain?! It's not what you think! I was forced to do it!"
"Fuck off! As if I'll believe you!"
"Trust me! I wouldn't have done it if I had any other choice!"
"Yeah, I'm sure it was such a pain to sleep with my mother! You must be traumatized!"
The ladies looked at each other, mouths agape, unable to formulate a response. What else could they have expected?